BWCA Entry Point, Route, and Trip Report Blog
October 18 2024
Entry Point 24 - Fall Lake
Fall Lake entry point allows overnight paddle or motor (25 HP max). This entry point is supported by Kawishiwi Ranger Station near the city of Ely, MN. The distance from ranger station to entry point is 7 miles. "Access is a boat landing at Fall Lake. Several trip options to Newton, Basswood, & Mud Lakes with additionalportages." This area was affected by blowdown in 1999.
Number of Permits per Day: 14
Elevation: 1324 feet
Latitude: 47.9527
Longitude: -91.7213
"This trip will be taking off from Fall Lake up through Newton Falls portage onto Pipestone Bay campsites. 3 day, 2 night trip into the wilderness.
Number of Permits per Day: 14
Elevation: 1324 feet
Latitude: 47.9527
Longitude: -91.7213
"This trip will be taking off from Fall Lake up through Newton Falls portage onto Pipestone Bay campsites. 3 day, 2 night trip into the wilderness.
Old Lakes, New Lakes, and Great Weather in Quetico
by TrailZen
Trip Report
Entry Date:
August 30, 2024
Entry Point:
Moose Lake
Number of Days:
10
Group Size:
2
Trip Introduction:
Quetico, 2024, August 30-September 8, a 10-day, 90 mile, 52 portage loop through some old favorites and some new country. Reports of high water levels and terrible mosquitoes prior to our entry date had us concerned (and prepared), but dry weather the week before our trip and great weather throughout our trip made bugs and water levels non-issues. Join us on another fun journey through Canoe Country.
Day 1 of 10
Friday, August 30, 2024: Missing Breakfast at Britton's Again. 13.0 miles (12.5 canoe, 0.5 portage). 2 portages,(160 and 640m). Moose, Newfound, Sucker, Basswood (Inlet Bay and Bailey Bay), and Sunday Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Dinner in Ely last night was fish & chips at the Boathouse, and on our way back to our room, we walked by Britton's to confirm opening time. We were sad to find a “Closed Friday” sign, meaning we haven't been able to start a trip with their breakfasts since 2019. Hope that's not a bad omen! [paragraph break] Because we live in North Carolina, our Quetico trips start with a two-day commute. When we get to Ely, we're happy to get out of the car and get active again, so we don't get tows to/from Prairie Portage. We got to the Moose Lake public landing shortly before 8:00, and were on the water about 20 minutes later. It's generally a two-hour paddle from Moose to Prairie Portage for us, but today's beautiful weather, cool temperature, and wind at our backs got us there in record time. We saw our first Bald Eagle and several Loons before getting to Prairie Portage. A couple parties were going through Jason's orientation at the ranger station, so we waited our turn. When we discussed a route that included the Wawiag River, Jason told us that the Cache Bay ranger station had reported that a couple log jams were revealed on the Wawiag as water levels dropped. While we're comfortable crossing beaver dams with the canoe, log jams are a different story, and revisiting the Wawiag will have to wait. [paragraph break] From Prairie Portage we proceeded to Bailey Bay, where we sometimes encounter wind. Yep, the wind that was at our backs in Moose was now a headwind kicking up some whitecaps. We stopped on Sunday Island for lunch, and during lunch we watched two pairs of Trumpeter Swans guarding the North Portage landing. The portage is about 0.4 miles long and rocky in places, but not bad, and puts us on Sunday Lake. We decide to swing by Singing Brook Portage, a portage we fondly remember from our 1979 inaugural Quetico trip. Tia was reclining on a tree as I was wandering around with a camera when wind pushed our canoe off shore! She waded/swam to the canoe with no issues, but the bag of gorp in her pocket didn't fare too well. Remembering the incident forty-five years later still makes us smile. [paragraph break] From Singing Brook we had the breeze at our backs as we paddled to the large island just west of the portage into Meadows and claimed the premium campsite there as home for the night. The site hasn't been too heavily camped this year, and there's still a decent duff layer across the site. There are several potential tent pads, a couple log benches, and a nice fire pit with a stone slab suitable for our canister stove. We set up the gravity filter, having filled its “dirty” bag in the middle of the lake as we approached the island. Soon the tent is up, Tia's updating her journal, and I'm looking for a good bear hang. The site has a nice northwestern view, and Tia found an old (1800s?) north arrow carved in the rock near her journaling seat. The arrow is about 18 inches long and appears to have included a name and date when carved, but we couldn't make it out. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Dinner is curried chicken couscous. We now dehydrate most of our own dinners, as well as some of our breakfast and lunch options. A meat for dinner is placed in a rehydration container with water at our lunch stop so cook time is minimized, and we further reduce cook time by using a Reflectix cozy for our primary titanium cook pot. Over the years we've cut our fuel consumption in half through these and other steps. [paragraph break] After dinner we played Farkle, read a couple Patrick McManus stories from 'A Fine and Pleasant Misery', then called it a day around 8:30. I think it took me less than a minute to be sound asleep, with our REI Helix pads, our new down sleeping bags, and down 'puffy' jackets in soft cases as pillows.
[paragraph break] Dinner in Ely last night was fish & chips at the Boathouse, and on our way back to our room, we walked by Britton's to confirm opening time. We were sad to find a “Closed Friday” sign, meaning we haven't been able to start a trip with their breakfasts since 2019. Hope that's not a bad omen! [paragraph break] Because we live in North Carolina, our Quetico trips start with a two-day commute. When we get to Ely, we're happy to get out of the car and get active again, so we don't get tows to/from Prairie Portage. We got to the Moose Lake public landing shortly before 8:00, and were on the water about 20 minutes later. It's generally a two-hour paddle from Moose to Prairie Portage for us, but today's beautiful weather, cool temperature, and wind at our backs got us there in record time. We saw our first Bald Eagle and several Loons before getting to Prairie Portage. A couple parties were going through Jason's orientation at the ranger station, so we waited our turn. When we discussed a route that included the Wawiag River, Jason told us that the Cache Bay ranger station had reported that a couple log jams were revealed on the Wawiag as water levels dropped. While we're comfortable crossing beaver dams with the canoe, log jams are a different story, and revisiting the Wawiag will have to wait. [paragraph break] From Prairie Portage we proceeded to Bailey Bay, where we sometimes encounter wind. Yep, the wind that was at our backs in Moose was now a headwind kicking up some whitecaps. We stopped on Sunday Island for lunch, and during lunch we watched two pairs of Trumpeter Swans guarding the North Portage landing. The portage is about 0.4 miles long and rocky in places, but not bad, and puts us on Sunday Lake. We decide to swing by Singing Brook Portage, a portage we fondly remember from our 1979 inaugural Quetico trip. Tia was reclining on a tree as I was wandering around with a camera when wind pushed our canoe off shore! She waded/swam to the canoe with no issues, but the bag of gorp in her pocket didn't fare too well. Remembering the incident forty-five years later still makes us smile. [paragraph break] From Singing Brook we had the breeze at our backs as we paddled to the large island just west of the portage into Meadows and claimed the premium campsite there as home for the night. The site hasn't been too heavily camped this year, and there's still a decent duff layer across the site. There are several potential tent pads, a couple log benches, and a nice fire pit with a stone slab suitable for our canister stove. We set up the gravity filter, having filled its “dirty” bag in the middle of the lake as we approached the island. Soon the tent is up, Tia's updating her journal, and I'm looking for a good bear hang. The site has a nice northwestern view, and Tia found an old (1800s?) north arrow carved in the rock near her journaling seat. The arrow is about 18 inches long and appears to have included a name and date when carved, but we couldn't make it out. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] Dinner is curried chicken couscous. We now dehydrate most of our own dinners, as well as some of our breakfast and lunch options. A meat for dinner is placed in a rehydration container with water at our lunch stop so cook time is minimized, and we further reduce cook time by using a Reflectix cozy for our primary titanium cook pot. Over the years we've cut our fuel consumption in half through these and other steps. [paragraph break] After dinner we played Farkle, read a couple Patrick McManus stories from 'A Fine and Pleasant Misery', then called it a day around 8:30. I think it took me less than a minute to be sound asleep, with our REI Helix pads, our new down sleeping bags, and down 'puffy' jackets in soft cases as pillows.
Day 2 of 10
Saturday, August 31, 2024: Didn't We Say We Wouldn't do the Louisa Falls Portage Again? 9.3 miles (7.6 c, 1.7 p), 7 portages (960, 520, 200, 200, 520, 60, and 270m). Sunday, Meadows, Agnes, Louisa, Arp, Star, and Fauquier Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Tia awoke at 1:30 for a potty break and thought she was seeing the Milky Way in the moonless sky. Then it flashed and she realized she was seeing the northern lights! She woke me up, and we watched the light show for 15 minutes or so. The photos aren't great, but the light show was. We'd been in Iceland in March to see the northern lights and barely saw a glow; what a great treat to see them in Quetico. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We were back up around 6:00 to a beautiful day. Breakfast was Gallo Pinto, a Costa Rican black beans and rice dish to which we add rehydrated ham. We have a three breakfast rotation this year: Gallo Pinto; hash browns with freeze-dried sausage; and oatmeal with nuts, dried fruits, and protein powder. All are strictly hot water meals, so require minimal cleanup. Last year we simplified our breakfasts by using instant coffee sticks, and packed four sticks with each breakfast bag. This year we took it a step further and added the morning's medicines to each breakfast bag. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We broke camp and headed for the portage into Meadows. About two-thirds through the portage we encountered a pine across the trail that was too big for our saw, so we passed gear under the tree and carried on. It's only a couple hundred meters across the tip of Meadows; we were quickly portaging into Agnes. We paddled up Agnes to a view of Louisa Falls, then to the Louisa portage. We hadn't seen anyone since our Friday lunch stop, but when we stopped at the 'bathtub' section of Louisa Falls for photos, another couple started their portage, too. We single-walked the portages, realizing they weren't nearly as tough as we remembered. Our original route plan was to camp on Louisa, but we were on the lake before noon. The site we had hoped to use was taken and wind on the lake was picking up, so we paddled into a calm cove for a lunch stop. After checking Tia's “data map” (through the years we've marked up a 1992 Quetico Foundation map with portage and campsite information) we decided to move on through Louisa, Arp, and Star to Fauquier. The next three portages had the standard Quetico challenges: steep climbs and descents, the edge of a boggy meadow, a couple rock jumble landings, some beaver muck, and some slick rocks. Our favorite part of continuing to Fauquier was paddling past floating sphagnum masses covered with pitcher plants, sundews, and cotton grass. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Fauquier is a smaller lake, but we still had some wind and whitecaps to deal with. The data map showed three campsites on Fauquier. The first had a terrible landing so we paddled on by. The second was in the western arm of the lake, meaning we would have to fight the wind to check it out. We would make the third site work! At one time it appeared to have been a nice site, but it hasn't been used much in recent years, allowing understory plants to crowd the tent pads and grow out of the fire pit. We had only been on the site a few minutes when we heard thunder, so we quickly set up the tent, got sleeping gear inside, and covered the pack just as big raindrops began to fall. We sat out a brief shower in the tent, and heard a couple people exit the portage from Dumas, then paddle our way. It sounded like they were hoping to use our site, saw our tent, then continued down Fauquier. [paragraph break] The rain was never serious and didn't last long. We had appetizers of hummus and crackers, followed by a dinner of hearty, meaty Suwannee Stew. As we hung the bear bag we saw a heavy cloud to the northwest, which had been clear at dinner. We covered the gear pack and got back in the tent to play Farkle and read McManus as rain and wind started again.
[paragraph break] Tia awoke at 1:30 for a potty break and thought she was seeing the Milky Way in the moonless sky. Then it flashed and she realized she was seeing the northern lights! She woke me up, and we watched the light show for 15 minutes or so. The photos aren't great, but the light show was. We'd been in Iceland in March to see the northern lights and barely saw a glow; what a great treat to see them in Quetico. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] We were back up around 6:00 to a beautiful day. Breakfast was Gallo Pinto, a Costa Rican black beans and rice dish to which we add rehydrated ham. We have a three breakfast rotation this year: Gallo Pinto; hash browns with freeze-dried sausage; and oatmeal with nuts, dried fruits, and protein powder. All are strictly hot water meals, so require minimal cleanup. Last year we simplified our breakfasts by using instant coffee sticks, and packed four sticks with each breakfast bag. This year we took it a step further and added the morning's medicines to each breakfast bag. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] We broke camp and headed for the portage into Meadows. About two-thirds through the portage we encountered a pine across the trail that was too big for our saw, so we passed gear under the tree and carried on. It's only a couple hundred meters across the tip of Meadows; we were quickly portaging into Agnes. We paddled up Agnes to a view of Louisa Falls, then to the Louisa portage. We hadn't seen anyone since our Friday lunch stop, but when we stopped at the 'bathtub' section of Louisa Falls for photos, another couple started their portage, too. We single-walked the portages, realizing they weren't nearly as tough as we remembered. Our original route plan was to camp on Louisa, but we were on the lake before noon. The site we had hoped to use was taken and wind on the lake was picking up, so we paddled into a calm cove for a lunch stop. After checking Tia's “data map” (through the years we've marked up a 1992 Quetico Foundation map with portage and campsite information) we decided to move on through Louisa, Arp, and Star to Fauquier. The next three portages had the standard Quetico challenges: steep climbs and descents, the edge of a boggy meadow, a couple rock jumble landings, some beaver muck, and some slick rocks. Our favorite part of continuing to Fauquier was paddling past floating sphagnum masses covered with pitcher plants, sundews, and cotton grass. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] Fauquier is a smaller lake, but we still had some wind and whitecaps to deal with. The data map showed three campsites on Fauquier. The first had a terrible landing so we paddled on by. The second was in the western arm of the lake, meaning we would have to fight the wind to check it out. We would make the third site work! At one time it appeared to have been a nice site, but it hasn't been used much in recent years, allowing understory plants to crowd the tent pads and grow out of the fire pit. We had only been on the site a few minutes when we heard thunder, so we quickly set up the tent, got sleeping gear inside, and covered the pack just as big raindrops began to fall. We sat out a brief shower in the tent, and heard a couple people exit the portage from Dumas, then paddle our way. It sounded like they were hoping to use our site, saw our tent, then continued down Fauquier. [paragraph break] The rain was never serious and didn't last long. We had appetizers of hummus and crackers, followed by a dinner of hearty, meaty Suwannee Stew. As we hung the bear bag we saw a heavy cloud to the northwest, which had been clear at dinner. We covered the gear pack and got back in the tent to play Farkle and read McManus as rain and wind started again.
Day 3 of 10
Sunday, September 01, 2024: How Do You Pronounce 'Dumas'? 10.0 miles (8.7c, 1.3p), 9 portages (360, 40, 80, 40, 70, 30, 50, 50, and 110m), 1 beaver dam. Fauquier, Dumas, Rod, Edge, no name, Turn, no name, Glacier, no name, and McEwen Creek into McEwen Lake. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We woke to a beautiful morning around 6:00, and our down puffy jackets felt nice with the 48 degree temperature. The sun was on us around 7:00, and quickly warmed us but couldn't dry the tent before we packed gear and loaded the canoe. Today's portages (7 before lunch) were all challenging, with rough landings, rough footing, downed trees, or big steps up or down. I don't think the trail was ever wider than 14”, so we were happy to meet no one along a portage—passing would have been tough. The portage from Turn into a no name was beautiful, following a cascading stream down a gorge. Wind was often an issue again, and at several portage landings I had to move the canoe into the shelter of trees so it didn't try to sail away as I popped it onto my shoulders. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Today's lakes were lovely and lonely. As we paddled through a clear, shallow creek a beaver swam under the bow of the canoe, then popped up about 10 feet away to stare us down. We only saw one canoe today, a solo paddler on Rod Lake who said he'd been fighting wind for three days. We could have moved through Glacier Lake quickly, but wanted to visit a campsite about a half mile down the lake. We'd used the site for a weather layover day several years ago. It was, and still is, a sweet site. We turned back north and stopped at a second campsite for lunch. It, too, is a nice site and we added it to Tia's data map for future reference. [paragraph break] A pair of Trumpeter Swans were at the McEwen Creek's exit into the lake. We expected wind on McEwen and planned to stop at a campsite on the south end of the lake, but didn't see it as we were fighting the wind. The next site was about a mile up McEwen on the tip of an island. We reached the site at 3:45, and appreciated the sandy landing after having so many rocky portage landings today. We pitched the wet tent on a point with a northwest view in hopes of another light show, then used our rain tarp to set up a bathtub away from the shore to wash bodies and rinse clothes. I set up the bear bag hang and fixed dinner, after which we watched for sunset color, played Farkle, and read more from McManus. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We woke to a beautiful morning around 6:00, and our down puffy jackets felt nice with the 48 degree temperature. The sun was on us around 7:00, and quickly warmed us but couldn't dry the tent before we packed gear and loaded the canoe. Today's portages (7 before lunch) were all challenging, with rough landings, rough footing, downed trees, or big steps up or down. I don't think the trail was ever wider than 14”, so we were happy to meet no one along a portage—passing would have been tough. The portage from Turn into a no name was beautiful, following a cascading stream down a gorge. Wind was often an issue again, and at several portage landings I had to move the canoe into the shelter of trees so it didn't try to sail away as I popped it onto my shoulders. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] Today's lakes were lovely and lonely. As we paddled through a clear, shallow creek a beaver swam under the bow of the canoe, then popped up about 10 feet away to stare us down. We only saw one canoe today, a solo paddler on Rod Lake who said he'd been fighting wind for three days. We could have moved through Glacier Lake quickly, but wanted to visit a campsite about a half mile down the lake. We'd used the site for a weather layover day several years ago. It was, and still is, a sweet site. We turned back north and stopped at a second campsite for lunch. It, too, is a nice site and we added it to Tia's data map for future reference. [paragraph break] A pair of Trumpeter Swans were at the McEwen Creek's exit into the lake. We expected wind on McEwen and planned to stop at a campsite on the south end of the lake, but didn't see it as we were fighting the wind. The next site was about a mile up McEwen on the tip of an island. We reached the site at 3:45, and appreciated the sandy landing after having so many rocky portage landings today. We pitched the wet tent on a point with a northwest view in hopes of another light show, then used our rain tarp to set up a bathtub away from the shore to wash bodies and rinse clothes. I set up the bear bag hang and fixed dinner, after which we watched for sunset color, played Farkle, and read more from McManus. [paragraph break]
Day 4 of 10
Monday, September 02, 2024: Our 52nd anniversary. 10.5 miles (9.7c, 0.8p), 2 portages (1270 and 150m). McEwen, Kenny, and Kawnipi Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] It was foggy as we exited the tent, but the sun soon burned off the fog. We paddled up McEwen in a light breeze, a welcome change from the wind of the previous three days. Our first portage was almost 0.8 miles long, so we planned to take a rest break about halfway through. The narrow portage took us up to a ridge covered by white birch whose limbs tried to grab the canoe. After 15-20 minutes we started descending, and the trail provided a rest break by way of an 18” White Cedar across the trail. We were now in a low, damp valley-a favorite location of mosquitoes. While we've been very pleased with the lack of bugs, we decided to Deet up for the rest of the portage. Even with the rest break we were across the portage in less than an hour. We could hear Canyon Falls as we entered Kenny Lake, and it was a short paddle to the portage around Kennebas Falls, where we took photos above and below the falls. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We had no portages after Kennebas Falls, and paddled into Atkins Bay looking for a lunch stop. We saw Bald Eagles before and after a lunch of hummus and crackers, and learned that our spare paddle makes a great serving platter. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Paddling bigger lakes like Kawnipi means paying closer attention to our maps. Several years ago we started aligning the compass baseplate and compass bezel with map North, then aligning our intended map direction with the canoe's keel. This makes navigation checks a simple glance at the compass—if the North arrow is in the red box of the baseplate/bezel (“red in the shed”), you're on track. This year we discovered that the blue painter's tape we've used to attach meds to breakfast bags secures the compass to the map so that we don't have to reposition the compass after each portage or after bumping the map case as you move your legs around. [paragraph break] Our campsite goal for the day is on an island in the mouth of Kawa Bay, and we arrive at 2:30, set up camp, and lounge around with hot drinks. The fire pit has a great rock slab for our cooking gear. Dinner tonight includes crackers & cheese as appetizers, a shrimp and rice casserole, and lime cheesecake for dessert. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break]
[paragraph break] It was foggy as we exited the tent, but the sun soon burned off the fog. We paddled up McEwen in a light breeze, a welcome change from the wind of the previous three days. Our first portage was almost 0.8 miles long, so we planned to take a rest break about halfway through. The narrow portage took us up to a ridge covered by white birch whose limbs tried to grab the canoe. After 15-20 minutes we started descending, and the trail provided a rest break by way of an 18” White Cedar across the trail. We were now in a low, damp valley-a favorite location of mosquitoes. While we've been very pleased with the lack of bugs, we decided to Deet up for the rest of the portage. Even with the rest break we were across the portage in less than an hour. We could hear Canyon Falls as we entered Kenny Lake, and it was a short paddle to the portage around Kennebas Falls, where we took photos above and below the falls. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] We had no portages after Kennebas Falls, and paddled into Atkins Bay looking for a lunch stop. We saw Bald Eagles before and after a lunch of hummus and crackers, and learned that our spare paddle makes a great serving platter. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] Paddling bigger lakes like Kawnipi means paying closer attention to our maps. Several years ago we started aligning the compass baseplate and compass bezel with map North, then aligning our intended map direction with the canoe's keel. This makes navigation checks a simple glance at the compass—if the North arrow is in the red box of the baseplate/bezel (“red in the shed”), you're on track. This year we discovered that the blue painter's tape we've used to attach meds to breakfast bags secures the compass to the map so that we don't have to reposition the compass after each portage or after bumping the map case as you move your legs around. [paragraph break] Our campsite goal for the day is on an island in the mouth of Kawa Bay, and we arrive at 2:30, set up camp, and lounge around with hot drinks. The fire pit has a great rock slab for our cooking gear. Dinner tonight includes crackers & cheese as appetizers, a shrimp and rice casserole, and lime cheesecake for dessert. [paragraph break] [paragraph break]
Day 5 of 10
Tuesday, September 03, 2024: Back to Agnes. 8.1 miles (7.2c, 0.9p), 4 portages (160, 170, 360, and 400m). Kawnipi, no name, Anubis, Bird, and Agnes Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] When the wind began blowing as we ate breakfast this morning, we knew we were in for a hard day of paddling. Usually we have some calm water early in the day, and we had hoped to take advantage of that morning calm to leave Kawa Bay and enter McVicar Bay. We chose today's route to avoid rough water on Kawnipi, but paddled into headwinds all day. [paragraph break] The two portages between Kawnipi and Anubis were short and easy-the challenge was finding the first one along the west shore of McVicar Bay, but the navigation technique described on Day 4 took us straight to the landing. Anubis was tough paddling-headwinds still-and we were relieved to paddle into a sheltered bay on its southwest end that held the portage landing as well as hosting another pair of Trumpeter Swans. Bird Lake wasn't as windy as Anubis, but we were still happy to reach the portage into Agnes. Its landing looked poor, but some looking around yielded a better landing that only needed some trimming-we were very glad to have included our 10” Corona saw in this year's gear, as in the past couple years we hadn't used it much, and we had considered leaving it at home. The portage included one of the teasers that tempts you to put the canoe in the water, load the packs, and paddle off. Don't fall for this ploy, or you'll paddle back to the spot you put in, unload and shoulder the packs, shoulder the canoe and get back on the trail you should have followed! [paragraph break] Even when we put in on Agnes we had another obstacle-a large pine had fallen across the channel, and during higher water levels someone had cut the tip off. We couldn't paddle past it, so cut another 18” off the top to clear the shallower channel. This put us into Agnes' northeast arm, which was exactly the wind tunnel we expected. We paddled hard until we spotted a sheltered lunch stop. After lunch we had hoped to make it to the nice campsite in the cove that includes the portage into Reid, but didn't dare cross the big water of Agnes in the wind. In the wind shadow of the big island between the east and west channels of the Agnes River we found a nice campsite and called it an early day. We pulled our gear and canoe onto the site, then lay on a sunny rock for 30 minutes before setting up camp. The site is a perfect staging area for tomorrow's paddle across Agnes if we're lucky enough to have a calm morning. We set up another bathtub, washed bodies and rinsed clothes, set up the bear bag hang, pitched and outfitted the tent, had hot drinks and appetizers, then cooked a great turkey, white bean, and kale soup. Tia was exploring the site and found a cool old scotch bottle with an unusual resealing lid. And the site has a great northern view, so we're again hoping for a second light show. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] When the wind began blowing as we ate breakfast this morning, we knew we were in for a hard day of paddling. Usually we have some calm water early in the day, and we had hoped to take advantage of that morning calm to leave Kawa Bay and enter McVicar Bay. We chose today's route to avoid rough water on Kawnipi, but paddled into headwinds all day. [paragraph break] The two portages between Kawnipi and Anubis were short and easy-the challenge was finding the first one along the west shore of McVicar Bay, but the navigation technique described on Day 4 took us straight to the landing. Anubis was tough paddling-headwinds still-and we were relieved to paddle into a sheltered bay on its southwest end that held the portage landing as well as hosting another pair of Trumpeter Swans. Bird Lake wasn't as windy as Anubis, but we were still happy to reach the portage into Agnes. Its landing looked poor, but some looking around yielded a better landing that only needed some trimming-we were very glad to have included our 10” Corona saw in this year's gear, as in the past couple years we hadn't used it much, and we had considered leaving it at home. The portage included one of the teasers that tempts you to put the canoe in the water, load the packs, and paddle off. Don't fall for this ploy, or you'll paddle back to the spot you put in, unload and shoulder the packs, shoulder the canoe and get back on the trail you should have followed! [paragraph break] Even when we put in on Agnes we had another obstacle-a large pine had fallen across the channel, and during higher water levels someone had cut the tip off. We couldn't paddle past it, so cut another 18” off the top to clear the shallower channel. This put us into Agnes' northeast arm, which was exactly the wind tunnel we expected. We paddled hard until we spotted a sheltered lunch stop. After lunch we had hoped to make it to the nice campsite in the cove that includes the portage into Reid, but didn't dare cross the big water of Agnes in the wind. In the wind shadow of the big island between the east and west channels of the Agnes River we found a nice campsite and called it an early day. We pulled our gear and canoe onto the site, then lay on a sunny rock for 30 minutes before setting up camp. The site is a perfect staging area for tomorrow's paddle across Agnes if we're lucky enough to have a calm morning. We set up another bathtub, washed bodies and rinsed clothes, set up the bear bag hang, pitched and outfitted the tent, had hot drinks and appetizers, then cooked a great turkey, white bean, and kale soup. Tia was exploring the site and found a cool old scotch bottle with an unusual resealing lid. And the site has a great northern view, so we're again hoping for a second light show. [paragraph break]
Day 6 of 10
Wednesday, September 04, 2024: Revisiting Trant. 8.2 miles (6.7c, 1.5p), 7 portages (320, 20, 20, 380, 20, 700, and 370m). Agnes, Reid, no name, no name, Woodside, no name, Hurlburt, and Trant Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] The wind continued through the night. With our northern view, we each checked the sky for northern lights each time we rolled over, but saw no light show. We were up at 6:00 and were treated to a beautiful sunrise as we quickly ate breakfast and packed/loaded gear. We were in the canoe at 7:40, knowing that Agnes would only get choppier if we waited. We paddled to the portage into Reid in just over 30 minutes, and admired the moose rack someone had left on a rootball at the landing. Because we did 7 portages before lunch, I don't remember individual details, but we again experienced the usual steep ups and downs, some boulder-hopping, and some moose muck, and a fun time was had by all. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] As we paddled through Woodside Lake, we spoke briefly with a group of anglers on an island campsite. It was too windy to fish, so they were enjoying cigars and a campfire. These were the first folks we'd seen since leaving Kawnipi. We made it to the beautiful campsite on Trant's narrows and had a late lunch, then pitched the tent to claim the site for the night. We paddled to the south end of the lake to revisit some pictographs there-a very distinct canoe and moose on one panel, and a couple fainter moose about 20 feet away. We paddled back to our campsite, pausing to collect water for the gravity filter, then cleaned up, set up the bear bag hang, and had afternoon coffee/tea with a fruit cobbler. I also set up a ridgeline for the dining fly so we could quickly hang it if needed. Later we had a dinner of shrimp creole, then sat on the rocks looking west hoping for a pretty sunset as we played Farkle and read more McManus until dark. We hadn't been in the tent long before we heard a light sprinkle begin. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] The wind continued through the night. With our northern view, we each checked the sky for northern lights each time we rolled over, but saw no light show. We were up at 6:00 and were treated to a beautiful sunrise as we quickly ate breakfast and packed/loaded gear. We were in the canoe at 7:40, knowing that Agnes would only get choppier if we waited. We paddled to the portage into Reid in just over 30 minutes, and admired the moose rack someone had left on a rootball at the landing. Because we did 7 portages before lunch, I don't remember individual details, but we again experienced the usual steep ups and downs, some boulder-hopping, and some moose muck, and a fun time was had by all. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] As we paddled through Woodside Lake, we spoke briefly with a group of anglers on an island campsite. It was too windy to fish, so they were enjoying cigars and a campfire. These were the first folks we'd seen since leaving Kawnipi. We made it to the beautiful campsite on Trant's narrows and had a late lunch, then pitched the tent to claim the site for the night. We paddled to the south end of the lake to revisit some pictographs there-a very distinct canoe and moose on one panel, and a couple fainter moose about 20 feet away. We paddled back to our campsite, pausing to collect water for the gravity filter, then cleaned up, set up the bear bag hang, and had afternoon coffee/tea with a fruit cobbler. I also set up a ridgeline for the dining fly so we could quickly hang it if needed. Later we had a dinner of shrimp creole, then sat on the rocks looking west hoping for a pretty sunset as we played Farkle and read more McManus until dark. We hadn't been in the tent long before we heard a light sprinkle begin. [paragraph break]
Day 7 of 10
Thursday, September 05, 2024: A Silent Day. 6.2 miles (5.0c, 1.2p). 6 portages (460, 420, 110, 110, 190, and 160m). Trant, five no names, and Silence Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] The rain stopped sometime during the night, but we woke to a solid gray sky. We had coffee and breakfast before rain started; we quickly pitched the dining fly on the ridgeline I'd set up last night, and stood under it for about 30 minutes until the shower passed, then packed gear and loaded the canoe. As we set out in full rain gear, light rain started again and we seemed to chase (and catch up with) patchy showers several times today. The wind wasn't bad today, but when it did blow, it was a cold wind from the north. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] Before the portage out of the third no name we stopped at a 'desperation' site for lunch. After looking around for the portage, we remembered being at this same portage and traveling in the same direction several years ago. As we ate lunch, memory retrieval units kicked in, and we recalled that the portage was on the other side of a rocky inlet behind the site. It was almost impossible to see, and required a bit of rock-hopping to get to solid ground. Sadly, the solid ground didn't last long, as we were quickly in muddy knee-deep water with a soft bottom. And in spots it got deeper! [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We had planned to camp on Shade tonight, but our late start and soaking wet tent fly made our stop on Silence a wiser choice. We looped around 'shopping' for a site, and while the site was only average, the earlier stop gave our gear more time to dry during the cool, cloudy afternoon. It was 59 degrees when we made camp at 2:45. Haven't seen another person today. [paragraph break] Tonight's dinner was Fiesta Rice with Corn & Chicken, another of several new recipes for the trip. It's a keeper, with a good spice level and easy rehydration. And the evening's temperature made us eager to clean cooking/eating gear, hang the bear bag, and get into the tent for Farkle and McManus. The down sleeping bags that have been a bit on the warm side earlier in the trip feel great now.
[paragraph break] The rain stopped sometime during the night, but we woke to a solid gray sky. We had coffee and breakfast before rain started; we quickly pitched the dining fly on the ridgeline I'd set up last night, and stood under it for about 30 minutes until the shower passed, then packed gear and loaded the canoe. As we set out in full rain gear, light rain started again and we seemed to chase (and catch up with) patchy showers several times today. The wind wasn't bad today, but when it did blow, it was a cold wind from the north. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] Before the portage out of the third no name we stopped at a 'desperation' site for lunch. After looking around for the portage, we remembered being at this same portage and traveling in the same direction several years ago. As we ate lunch, memory retrieval units kicked in, and we recalled that the portage was on the other side of a rocky inlet behind the site. It was almost impossible to see, and required a bit of rock-hopping to get to solid ground. Sadly, the solid ground didn't last long, as we were quickly in muddy knee-deep water with a soft bottom. And in spots it got deeper! [paragraph break] [paragraph break] We had planned to camp on Shade tonight, but our late start and soaking wet tent fly made our stop on Silence a wiser choice. We looped around 'shopping' for a site, and while the site was only average, the earlier stop gave our gear more time to dry during the cool, cloudy afternoon. It was 59 degrees when we made camp at 2:45. Haven't seen another person today. [paragraph break] Tonight's dinner was Fiesta Rice with Corn & Chicken, another of several new recipes for the trip. It's a keeper, with a good spice level and easy rehydration. And the evening's temperature made us eager to clean cooking/eating gear, hang the bear bag, and get into the tent for Farkle and McManus. The down sleeping bags that have been a bit on the warm side earlier in the trip feel great now.
Day 8 of 10
Friday, September 06, 2024: Down the S Chain. 8.4 miles (7.7c, 0.7p), 7 portages (350, 190, 75, 115, 65, 120, and 45 meters). Silence, Sultry, Summer, Noon, Shade, West, and South Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] I woke up around 2:00 am and saw stars in a clear sky. Sure enough, we woke to a mostly clear sky and 44 degrees. Had coffee and breakfast, then started down the S Chain in a slight breeze. We were both wearing our rain jackets as windbreakers. Today's portages were all spoilers; nearly every landing was gravel, and footing across most portages was good. Some had an obstacle or two, like the log shown below on the portage out of Silence. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] While stopped for lunch at a campsite on Shade we saw our first canoes in 48 hours. When we portaged into West Lake, we paddled past three canoes/six anglers who said they were camping on North Bay. We had considered camping on North Bay tonight, but remembered that it's usually hosting more paddlers than some of the smaller lakes, so we stopped on South Lake instead. The site near the portage into North Bay is another premium site: plenty of pine needle-covered tent pads, a nice takeout, a great cooking rock, an easy bear hang, and no hazard trees. It's home for the night, even though we arrived at 2:00 pm. The early stops have spoiled us, too. [paragraph break] 
We had afternoon coffee/tea, then I found a “Sasquatch” bear hang setup (not even Sasquatch could reach it!). Dinner was Jamaican Jerk Chicken with black beans & rice followed by a dessert of chocolate cheesecake. The cool evening temperature after dinner pushed us into the tent for Farkle, McManus, and toasty sleeping bags. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] After last year's Quetico trip, we met with a personal trainer and started regular workouts at a local gym. We both feel that our endurance has greatly improved, but both need some more leg strength for the occasional tall step-ups on a portage with our 60+ pound loads, and I need better lifting strength for loading the canoe when it's windy. We'll be working with the trainer again to meet those conditioning goals, and we're certain only our love for Quetico and our desire to keep visiting Canoe Country could get us into a gym!
[paragraph break] I woke up around 2:00 am and saw stars in a clear sky. Sure enough, we woke to a mostly clear sky and 44 degrees. Had coffee and breakfast, then started down the S Chain in a slight breeze. We were both wearing our rain jackets as windbreakers. Today's portages were all spoilers; nearly every landing was gravel, and footing across most portages was good. Some had an obstacle or two, like the log shown below on the portage out of Silence. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] While stopped for lunch at a campsite on Shade we saw our first canoes in 48 hours. When we portaged into West Lake, we paddled past three canoes/six anglers who said they were camping on North Bay. We had considered camping on North Bay tonight, but remembered that it's usually hosting more paddlers than some of the smaller lakes, so we stopped on South Lake instead. The site near the portage into North Bay is another premium site: plenty of pine needle-covered tent pads, a nice takeout, a great cooking rock, an easy bear hang, and no hazard trees. It's home for the night, even though we arrived at 2:00 pm. The early stops have spoiled us, too. [paragraph break] We had afternoon coffee/tea, then I found a “Sasquatch” bear hang setup (not even Sasquatch could reach it!). Dinner was Jamaican Jerk Chicken with black beans & rice followed by a dessert of chocolate cheesecake. The cool evening temperature after dinner pushed us into the tent for Farkle, McManus, and toasty sleeping bags. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] After last year's Quetico trip, we met with a personal trainer and started regular workouts at a local gym. We both feel that our endurance has greatly improved, but both need some more leg strength for the occasional tall step-ups on a portage with our 60+ pound loads, and I need better lifting strength for loading the canoe when it's windy. We'll be working with the trainer again to meet those conditioning goals, and we're certain only our love for Quetico and our desire to keep visiting Canoe Country could get us into a gym!
Day 9 of 10
Saturday, September 07, 2024: Hey, We've Never Been to Anchor Lake! 6.9 miles (6.0c, 0.9p), 6 portages (90, 490, 105, 175, 260, and 90 meters). South, North Bay, no name, no name, Sunday, and Burke Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] In addition to avoiding potential crowds on North Bay, a reason for staying on South Lake was that perhaps by paddling the narrow arm into North Bay early might increase our chances of wildlife sightings. We woke to a foggy 43 degree morning. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the mist burned off the lake and the temperature warmed to the mid-50s. We were blessed with a blue sky and fluffy scattered clouds. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] While yesterday's portages spoiled us, today's were a reality check. For several years we've noticed the narrow finger between South Lake and North Bay and felt it would be a rewarding paddle. It wasn't at all what we expected! The portage from South Lake was easy enough, but the water was shallow for the first 50 yards or so and we were poling, rather than paddling, our canoe. When we finally reached deeper water, it was choked with lily pads, and our progress wasn't much faster (or quieter!) than poling. While we'd seen a fresh-looking moose track at the put-in, we're sure every critter was warned of our approach well in advance. We also had a couple beaver dams to negotiate before we entered North Bay. We stopped on an island on North Bay so Tia could pull out a wool layer-today's breezes are pretty cool. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] From Sunday Lake we took the beautiful Singing Brook portage into Burke Lake. We had been so focused on our portage challenges between North Bay and Sunday Lake that we hadn't noticed the high gray clouds until reaching Burke. The lake has several campsites, but most are heavily used because the lake can be used to access three Quetico entry lakes: Agnes, Sarah, and Kahshahpiwi. We took an island site with a nice landing and moved in for the last night of our 2024 trip. Cups of hot soup fueled setup of the tent, the bear hang, and a ridgeline for a rain fly if needed.
[paragraph break] In addition to avoiding potential crowds on North Bay, a reason for staying on South Lake was that perhaps by paddling the narrow arm into North Bay early might increase our chances of wildlife sightings. We woke to a foggy 43 degree morning. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the mist burned off the lake and the temperature warmed to the mid-50s. We were blessed with a blue sky and fluffy scattered clouds. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] While yesterday's portages spoiled us, today's were a reality check. For several years we've noticed the narrow finger between South Lake and North Bay and felt it would be a rewarding paddle. It wasn't at all what we expected! The portage from South Lake was easy enough, but the water was shallow for the first 50 yards or so and we were poling, rather than paddling, our canoe. When we finally reached deeper water, it was choked with lily pads, and our progress wasn't much faster (or quieter!) than poling. While we'd seen a fresh-looking moose track at the put-in, we're sure every critter was warned of our approach well in advance. We also had a couple beaver dams to negotiate before we entered North Bay. We stopped on an island on North Bay so Tia could pull out a wool layer-today's breezes are pretty cool. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] From Sunday Lake we took the beautiful Singing Brook portage into Burke Lake. We had been so focused on our portage challenges between North Bay and Sunday Lake that we hadn't noticed the high gray clouds until reaching Burke. The lake has several campsites, but most are heavily used because the lake can be used to access three Quetico entry lakes: Agnes, Sarah, and Kahshahpiwi. We took an island site with a nice landing and moved in for the last night of our 2024 trip. Cups of hot soup fueled setup of the tent, the bear hang, and a ridgeline for a rain fly if needed.
Day 10 of 10
Sunday, September 08, 2024: Exiting Canoe Country and Homeward Bound. 11.1 miles (10.8c, 0.3p). 2 portages (450 and 160 meters). Burke, Basswood, (Bayley Bay and Inlet Bay), Sucker, Newfound, and Moose Lakes. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] We could see stars when we woke during the night, and we awoke to a sky with a few remaining clouds that quickly cleared as we ate breakfast. We could hear wind, and hoped the big water we had to cross wouldn't be too rough. We're leaving the last campsite of our trip with dry gear and very little leftover food, always a nice way to end a trip, and before 8:30 were paddling toward “the Boulevard”, a name Tia gave the portage between Burke and Bayley Bay on our first Quetico trip. Bayley Bay was choppy, with wind blowing directly into the portage, but the farther we paddled, the more the wind settled and it wasn't an unpleasant paddle into Inlet Bay. Inlet is always calmer than Bayley, and soon we could see the ranger station beach and outbound paddlers. We spoke with several groups at Prairie Portage, and were surprised to see more women paddlers than men. [paragraph break] 
[paragraph break] From the Sucker Lake side of Prairie Portage we had the 6.5 mile, no portage (carrying gear to the parking lot doesn't count!) steady paddle to the Moose Lake public landing. While the wind wasn't bad, it was in our faces the entire Sucker/Newfound/Moose chain and was occasionally gusty. We were tired and hungry after the 2 hour effort, so carried some gear to the car and had left-over snacks and protein bars for lunch. We changed into dry shoes and loaded the car, then moved the car around to load the canoe. While there, we spoke with a Wilderness Inquiry group returning from a BWCA trip. Both Tia and our daughter have worked with W.I. groups, and we're always happy to see people with different abilities and backgrounds sharing our public lands. [paragraph break] Roadside maples were starting to turn red on our drive from Moose Lake to Ely. In Ely we stopped at Spirit of the Wilderness to check in with US Customs, then ate enough ice cream at Dairy Queen to keep our stomachs from growling until dinner. We checked into our room, cleaned up, then walked through Ely to look at paddles and other gear. Dinner was walleye baskets at the Frisky Otter, then we walked back to our room. Tomorrow we'll start the drive home, review gear and food details from this year's trip, and list suggestions for next year. Maybe the Wawiag, Blackstone, or the west side of the park. Let's start looking at the maps!
[paragraph break] We could see stars when we woke during the night, and we awoke to a sky with a few remaining clouds that quickly cleared as we ate breakfast. We could hear wind, and hoped the big water we had to cross wouldn't be too rough. We're leaving the last campsite of our trip with dry gear and very little leftover food, always a nice way to end a trip, and before 8:30 were paddling toward “the Boulevard”, a name Tia gave the portage between Burke and Bayley Bay on our first Quetico trip. Bayley Bay was choppy, with wind blowing directly into the portage, but the farther we paddled, the more the wind settled and it wasn't an unpleasant paddle into Inlet Bay. Inlet is always calmer than Bayley, and soon we could see the ranger station beach and outbound paddlers. We spoke with several groups at Prairie Portage, and were surprised to see more women paddlers than men. [paragraph break] [paragraph break] From the Sucker Lake side of Prairie Portage we had the 6.5 mile, no portage (carrying gear to the parking lot doesn't count!) steady paddle to the Moose Lake public landing. While the wind wasn't bad, it was in our faces the entire Sucker/Newfound/Moose chain and was occasionally gusty. We were tired and hungry after the 2 hour effort, so carried some gear to the car and had left-over snacks and protein bars for lunch. We changed into dry shoes and loaded the car, then moved the car around to load the canoe. While there, we spoke with a Wilderness Inquiry group returning from a BWCA trip. Both Tia and our daughter have worked with W.I. groups, and we're always happy to see people with different abilities and backgrounds sharing our public lands. [paragraph break] Roadside maples were starting to turn red on our drive from Moose Lake to Ely. In Ely we stopped at Spirit of the Wilderness to check in with US Customs, then ate enough ice cream at Dairy Queen to keep our stomachs from growling until dinner. We checked into our room, cleaned up, then walked through Ely to look at paddles and other gear. Dinner was walleye baskets at the Frisky Otter, then we walked back to our room. Tomorrow we'll start the drive home, review gear and food details from this year's trip, and list suggestions for next year. Maybe the Wawiag, Blackstone, or the west side of the park. Let's start looking at the maps!
discuss this trip report (1 comments) - last post on October 16, 2024